Links
by Kira R. Chan
Summary: Haku brushed the smooth surface of the card with his fingertips, tracing over the name of the girl who has influenced him so much. Don’t worry Chihiro. We will soon meet again. Smiling joyfully, he turned and walked towards the bathhouse. [Chapter 9 up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclamer: I do not own Spirited Away 

Author's Note: Hi hi! I've been wanting to start a Spirited Away fic for forever! So here's the product of my ideas! Hope you like! The time is right after the end of the movie btw. enjoy! 

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**Links**  
**_ Chapter 1_**

Haku brushed the smooth surface of the card with his fingertips, tracing over the name of the girl who has influenced him so much. _Don't worry Chihiro. We will soon meet again_. Smiling joyfully, he turned and walked towards the bathhouse.

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Haku walked into Yubaba's office and stood respectfully at the door. The witch was working at her desk, buried in a pile of papers. She looked up and smiled as she saw him. "Ah. Haku. What may I do for you?"

Haku walked towards the witch, keeping an air of confidence. Stopping in front of her desk, he looked Yubaba in the eye with an unfaltering gaze and said in a cool voice, "I wish to resign my apprenticeship."

Yubaba laughed softly. "What is this Haku? You wish to resign? But I think you are forgetting one small technicality my boy." She looked at him with delighted confidence. "As long as I have your name, you belong to me."

Haku allowed himself a small smile. "No Yubaba. I have remembered my name. I am the Kohaku River." He turned and started leaving the room.

"You are going to find Sen aren't you?" Haku stopped walking but didn't turn around.

"But you know, you can't do that unless you have a physical link to her." Without thinking, Haku put his hand into his pocket and touched Chihiro's card, making sure it was still there.

"I see." Yubaba's voice lost its smug confidence and took on a dejected tone.

"Well, boy. I wish you luck. Even with a physical linkage, it won't be easy for you to make your way to the human world." Haku turned around in surprise at the touch of care in Yubaba's words.

She smiled at him. "When you see Sen, tell her that Bou misses her."

Haku smiled back at the old witch. "I will."

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A/N: yup yup there's the first chapter for u! kinda short. the second is a bit longer. will post that in a day or two. hope u liked! please review! constructive criticism is appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclamer: I do not own Spirited Away 

Author's Note: Yay! Second chapter. Sorry for the shortness of the chapters but i can't write for extended periods of time before my brain just dies on me! A pretend cookie to my first reviewer: **Carapheonix**! (I will try to update every other day at least) thankies! 

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**_ Chapter 2_**

Chihiro plopped down on her bed, exhausted from the day's work. Finally, she had unpacked all her boxes and her room looks at last like a real room. She held the glittering red hairtie up to the light and turned it to make the sunshine bounce off it at different angles. Tomorrow, she would go back in the forest and find Haku. She'll leave early in the morning and make sure that she leaves the Spirit World before dusk. She smiled happily at the thought of seeing Haku again.

"Chihiro! Are you done unpacking yet? Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Ogino's voice came from downstairs. Chihiro hastily put her hairtie on her bedtime table and ran downstairs to eat.

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"Hey mom! Can I go ride on my bike in the forest?" Chihiro beamed sweetly at her mother.

Mrs. Ogino stopped washing the dishes and looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Chihiro, it's only eight o'clock in the morning. Isn't it a bit too early to go biking?"

"But it's so nice out today mom!" Chihiro whined. "Plus, I've already unpacked all my stuff yesterday so there's nothing for me to do today!"

Mrs. Ogino thought for a minute. "Alright. But I want you back before noon." Chihiro kissed her mom quickly on the cheek and rushed out to the garden to get her bike.

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_The forest is beautiful._ Chihiro thought as she biked down the path her dad had taken. She breathed in the sweet aroma of the flowers and trees and let her hair dance in the gentle breeze. Her anticipation grew as she rode further down the path. In her excitement, Chihiro didn't notice the wind slipping her red hairtie from her loose ponytail and carrying it off into the sky.

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Chihiro left her bike beside the stone statue in front of the tunnel and looked at her watch. It was already half past eight. She walked up to the entrance of the tunnel and grinned as she thought of how surprised Haku will be to see her. Smiling to herself, she walked into the dark tunnel, not realizing the absence of the wind that had pushed her into the Spirit World the last time she was here.

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Chihiro looked around expectantly as she exited the tunnel. To her amazement, the lush grass field and the dried riverbed she had seen the last time were gone. Instead, past the tunnel, the forest extended on in dark rows of closely knitted trees. Chihiro weaved cautiously through the tall trees, trying to find a sign, any sign of the bath house, but only found more trees. As she wiped the sweat off her forehead, her loosely flowing hair told her that she had lost the hairtie her friends in the Spirit World had made her.

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A/N: hope u liked! i probably won't get into the main plot until chapter 5... up until then is just pre-stuff (but important pre-stuff! ). review please!

Kira


	3. Chapter 3

Disclamer: I do not own Spirited Away 

Author's Note: pretend cookies to **Haku Fan** and **cha cha cha** for your reviews! 

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**Links**   
**_ Chapter 3_**

Haku stood on the bank of a wide river. The rushing water rolled thunderously down the hill, creating a fine mist in the morning sky. He sat down on a nearby rock and waited for night to fall and the wise spirit of the river Zhihui to appear. 

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As the last rays of the sun faded into darkness, the river Zhihui started to bubble. Haku quickly stood up and watched as a stream of water shot up from the center of the river and turned into a magnificent white dragon. Haku bowed deeply as the white dragon took form and landed on the bank of the river. 

"Wise Zhihui, I wish to inquire of you knowledge that only you possess." Haku looked up at the white dragon and found that he had taken the form of an old man. 

The spirit of the Zhihui river looked at Haku and sighed. "Young one, what knowledge could I possibly have that you need? I am but an old river with nothing left to share." 

"It is the knowledge of crossing the barrier that I beseech." Haku answered politely. 

The spirit of the Zhihui river looked at him with incredulous eyes and began to laugh. "The knowledge of crossing the barrier? Young one, that is knowledge that no longer exists! To cross the barrier is to cross the line between life and death itself and the only one with magic strong enough to do that is no longer with us." 

Haku didn't let these words discourage him. Instead, he said with determination, "It is true that the river spirit Beiju no longer lives. But the magic that he once used must still exist! All one needs is the will and determination to find it. And you, wise Zhihui, must know where I may find that magic for you were the one who had helped Beiju when he crossed the barrier so many years ago." 

The Zhihui river spirit suddenly looked very old. "Don't chase after empty dreams Kohaku." He walked away and faded into the rushing river. 

Wondering how the old river spirit had known his name, Haku ran after him only to find himself immersed in the rushing water with the river spirit nowhere to be found. In his rush, Haku didn't notice Chihiro's card float out of his pocket and drift off among the foamy waters. 

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A/N: that's it for chap 3! chap 4 will come out either tomorrow or the day after depending on how fast i can get chap 6 written. review plz!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclamer: I do not own Spirited Away 

Author's Note: a meat ball to **jo jo** and tons of cookies to **Draechaeli** and a fortune cookie with names in it to **Bailey** for your awesome reviews! (As for Bou's name, I always watch with subtitles so I kinda just read it off the screen! hahahahahaha ) 

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**_ Chapter 4_**

"What's the matter Chihiro? You haven't touched a thing on your plate." Mrs. Ogino looked at her daughter with concern.

"I'm just not hungry mom. May I go to my room? I'm tired from all the biking this morning." Chihiro left the dining table and walked upstairs to her room, holding back the tears threatening to fall. She can't get back to the Spirit World to see her friends. She had lost her red hair tie. She has nothing left that links her to the Spirit World. She lost every single one of her friends: Granny, Bou, Yu-bird, No Face, the soot balls, Kamajii, Rin and … Haku. _Haku… _Chihiro pulled a pillow close to herself and cried.

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Chihiro wasn't sure why she was back here yet again. In front of the tunnel, peering into the darkness. The forest around her was still and silent. She stepped into the tunnel and walked through it, hoping, wishing that this time, she wouldn't see trees on the other side like so many times before. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember what her friends in the Spirit World had looked like but was unable to form the image of their faces. She opened her eyes and found herself once again facing row after row of trees. Dark, unfeeling trees.

Instead of turning and walking back home, Chihiro walked up to the nearest tree and pulled out a small pocket knife. With the knife, she carefully carved the names of all her friends in the Spirit World onto the bark. That done, she put her pocket knife back into her pocket and took out a little metal box. She opened the box and looked at the contents inside: a page ripped out of her diary from the day she found the Spirit World, folded neatly and protected by a thin plastic wrapper. She dug a hole in the soil at the bottom of the tree and buried the box in the hole. Brushing the dirt off her hands, she took the bouquet of dried flowers that her friend Rumi had given her when she moved and put it on top of the little mound of dirt that held her box of memories. Without looking back, Chihiro walked back across the tunnel, whispering a reluctant goodbye that lost itself in the loud silence of the forest.

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A/N: this one was a bit on the short side even for me. but the next one's longer i promise review plz!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclamer: I do not own Spirited Away 

Author's Note: yay! sorry this chapter took a bit longer to get up than the others did. I had to go to orientation yesterday so i didn't have time to write. anyways, chocolate chip muffins to **Draechaeli**, **Carapheonix**, **Kute Anime Kitty**, and **Mokana-chan** for your reviews! 

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**_ Chapter 5_**

The old river spirit looked fondly at the sleeping boy by his riverside. _He is just like Beiju_. Zhihui sighed. The boy had been waiting for him for a whole month. _He must really love her._ Zhihui touched Haku gently on the shoulder and the young man woke up with a start. On seeing Zhihui, Haku jumped to his feet and bowed respectfully to the old river spirit. "Please sir, teach me what I need to know."

Zhihui looked at Haku with remorseful eyes. "Let me tell you a story Kohaku. After my story, you can decide if you still want to find her."

Haku found himself again astonished at how much Zhihui knows. "Forgive me for interrupting sir, but could you tell me how you know so much about me?"

The old river spirit smiled kindly at Haku. "Young one, there is an old magic that connects us all. If you just listen to it, it will tell you all you need to know." Haku nodded slowly as the river spirit went on. "I once knew a young man just like you. He fell in love with a human girl and went after her to the human world. The only problem is, for a spirit to travel to the human world, he needs to accumulate enough magic to project a physical form for himself. It took him ten years to find enough magic. However, he did not understand the magic. Without a link to the girl, he was lost in the human world. And because he didn't understand the magic, the magic that he had spent so many years gathering soon dwindled away to nothing. Without his magic, he lost his physical form and was too weak even to return back to the Spirit World. All that's left of him is the faint echo of his soul that still blows in the human world today, a ghost of memories long past."

Haku looked up at Zhihui and found that he had tears in his eyes. "You were close to him weren't you?"

Zhihui looked back at him with an imploring gaze. "Don't make his mistake Kohaku."

Haku glanced at his feet, unwilling to give up his promise of seeing Chihiro again. "Is the young man you talk about Beiju?"

Zhihui only nodded as tears streamed silently down his wrinkled old face. After a long silence, the old river spirit said in a bare whisper, "Did you know Kohaku, that both you and Beiju are my children? Your rivers both originated from mine."

Haku didn't know what to say. He knew that all rivers originated from others and that Zhihui is one of the oldest rivers but Zhihui's words still shocked him.

"Do you know what that means Kohaku?" The old river spirit continued. "It means that you too can travel to the human world if you can accumulate enough magic. But don't choose that unless you are certain that you can fully understand and control it."

Haku looked up sharply at Zhihui's words. "Does this, does this mean you will teach me how to get to the human world?"

Zhihui got up and walked towards his river. Shaking his head in disappointment, he said "Come back in a week, I will be ready for you then."

Haku bowed deeply as the spirit of the Zhihui river disappeared into the raging waters.

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A/N: yay! did u notice that this chap was a bit longer? hope you liked! review plz!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclamer: I do not own Spirited Away 

Author's Note: sorry for the delay! i have been busy busy. dumplings to **Carapheonix**, **Kute Anime Kitty**, **Draechaeli** and **Celestine** for your reviews. As for the length of the chapters, again, i apologize. The next one is longer i promise. 

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**_ Chapter 6_**

"Wow Chihiro, I can't believe you've only been here for barely three years! It seems I've known you forever!" Katie added special emphasis to her last word. 

Chihiro beamed, nodding at her best friend. "I know! But you were one of the first people I met here after all."

Katie stopped walking and looked at Chihiro teasingly. "I thought I'm the first person you met after you moved?"

"Oh." Chihiro paused. She put on a cheerful face and stuck out her tongue. "You know that's what I meant Katie!"

Katie laughed. "Hey Chihiro. You know what we should do to celebrate the beginning of the summer? We should go camping! Abby said that there's the nicest spot in the forest in front of you house. What do you think?"

Again, Chihiro paused. "The forest in front of my house…" She put on a nonchalant voice. "Uh… sure! But wouldn't it be nicer to camp somewhere a bit further away?"

"You got a point there. We'll see! See you tomorrow Chihiro!" Katie waved goodbye and walked down the street to her house. Chihiro started toward her own house but stopped. Instead, she walked the once familiar road to a tunnel in the forest in front of her house.

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True friends can never truly be forgotten. Chihiro slowly read the names she had carved onto the tree. As her eyes passed over the last name, she felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. Of course she missed Haku. He was the first friend she had made here. He was the one who had helped her the most in the Spirit World. He was warm, caring, dependable… "I wonder where you are right now Haku." Chihiro said to the trees. "You've probably learned a whole bunch of magic by now." She looked down at the earth beneath the tree. A few crumpled fragments of brown-pink petals lay scattered and buried in the soil. _I wonder if you've still got my card Haku._ She tried to picture his smiling face but all that came to her were words: olive green eyes, dark chin length hair, gentle expression… Just words. There were no pictures, no sounds, no smells associated with any of these words. They might have been the descriptions of someone she didn't know for all they did in helping her picture him. "But that's okay Haku. I don't have to remember what you looked like three years ago. You will always be my very best friend." Chihiro smiled up at the clear blue sky above her. A light breeze blew softly around her. Chihiro closed her eyes and just remembered. She went over the adventures she had in the Spirit World, jumping over the gaps left in her memory from time and dwelling on what she did remember. She thought about the people she had met. Some of them she no longer remembered the names of. But that was okay. They were all a part of her soul. She didn't need to remember all their names to remember their presence. She didn't need to remember their presence for their essence to forever be a part of her. There was _something_ that seemed to join her to all the people she had ever known; and each of them had a special place in her heart—especially the one named Kohaku.

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A/N: hope u liked! review plz!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclamer: I do not own Spirited Away 

Author's Note: yay! to everyone who has asked for longer chapters, here's the first of my attempts at long chapters (it's almost 1000 words long! O.o) ! Hope you like! pretend rice cakes to **cha cha**, **Mokana-chan **, **Draechaeli** and **Trinity-Neo1818** (feel better! After every storm is a clear sky =] ) for your kind reviews! 

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**_ Chapter 7_**

"Master Zhihui, I have finished learning the seven manuscripts." Haku held a pile of worn books to his teacher. 

"All right then. What is the most effective way to channel magic?" Zhihui looked sternly at his student. Over the past three years, Haku had shown amazing skill and aptitude. He has mastered the basic concepts of magic removal and absorption in a mere year – a time half that Beiju had taken.

"The most effective way to channel magic is through contact. Both physical and mental will suffice. Physical is most effective when both sides are open to the transfer of magic. Mental is most effective when there is eye contact or spirit contact. In the case where the other side is unwilling to transfer the magic, the transfer is still possible if the other is greatly weakened." Haku stopped and looked at his teacher uncertainly.

The spirit of the Zhihui river smiled fondly. "I believe you are finally ready to gather the magic you need. There will be five separate missions you have to go on. All will be difficult. You need…" Zhihui stopped at the look of continued hesitancy on his student's face. "What is the matter Kohaku?"

Haku smiled apologetically. "It's just… I still don't see how I could be able to reach Chihiro without the card…" Haku dropped off, not wanting to seem as if he didn't trust his teacher's words three years ago.

Zhihui sighed. "That, Kohaku, is something that you will learn in time."

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Haku gritted his teeth in pain as the lava burned through his clothes and left burnt skin in its wake. He fly out of the volcano and landed near the bottom of the volcano. The lava spirit followed after and the earth trembled dangerously as he landed heavily. Haku waved his hand and generated a whip of water. In one skillful flick, Haku wrapped the whip around the lava spirit. A cloud of steam was generated on contact, blocking both their views. Seizing the opportunity, Haku sent a jet of water towards the lava spirit. As the steam cleared, Haku was surprised to see that the lava spirit was gone. Before he could jump out of the way, a wave of heat seared his back and Haku collapsed from the sudden pain that pierced through his body. The lava spirit laughed triumphantly as he stood over Haku and his searing breath sizzled every last inch of Haku's body. Filled with agony, Haku watched as blood seeped through the burnt skin. With the last of his strength, he generated another jet of water high into the sky. Droplets of water fell all around him. Haku saw the flames on the lava spirit go out before he blacked out from the pain. Around him, blinding blue-white light started to glow from the droplets of blood gathering on his charred skin. The light turned into a soft mist as it surrounded Haku and his broken skin began to heal. The lava spirit started to run but the mist seemed to become viscous and his movement became slow, strained.

Haku's eyes opened slowly and he looked around him. Everywhere, there was a fine mist. Haku pushed himself up, walked tentatively up to the lava spirit and touched his hand to the spirit's forehead. The mist around them began to shine brighter and brighter as Haku drained the magic from the lava spirit. The lava spirit collapsed to the ground as his magic transferred to Haku.

"Who are you?" Fear inched every line of the lava spirit's face as he stood tentatively up and took a staggering step back from Haku.

Haku held out his hand. "I am the spirit of the Kohaku river. I am deeply sorry for taking your magic without your permission but you attacked me as soon as you saw me and I had no choice but to defend myself." Haku bowed deeply.

The lava spirit blinked, shocked. "You took my magic??"

Haku stammered as he tried to explain to the lava spirit. "No. No sir. Your magic is something I can never take away. What I did was, I guess you can say I copied your magic. Although you feel weak right now, your magic will come back within a day or two." Haku broke off. "At least, that's what I read will happen…"

Suddenly, the lava spirit burst into hearty laughter. "You channeled my magic? Why, the last time someone did that was…" He frowned slightly as he tried to remember the name. "Ah yes! It was Beiju. Such an odd kid."

It was Haku's turn to be surprised. "You know Beiju?"

The lava spirit shook his head in amusement. "Of course I know Beiju! For a whole year, he came within five hundred feet of my volcano every day and laid down a gift and then left! I was beginning to wonder when the kid will stop when, one day, he finally came right up to my volcano. Before I could greet him however, he did something funny. And when I woke up, there was a letter explaining to me what he had done. Funny kid. If he had stayed, I could have helped him out. Whatever happened to him do you know?"

Haku bowed his head. "Beiju's gone."

The lava spirit looked at Haku but decided not to ask. "So kid, what do you want so much magic for?"

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A/N: hope u liked! the next chapter is longer :) review plz!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclamer: I do not own Spirited Away 

Author's Note: I'm starting to get a block to this story so sorry if the next updates don't come as fast. On a brighter note, this chapter is even longer than the last one! =) Many thanks and appreciation to **Ukchana** (your advice is very helpful. thank you =) i will try to work on keeping a constant tense), **Mokana-chan**, **WildBlackWolf and Viva** and **Draechaeli** for your reviews and support! =) 

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**_ Chapter 8_**

Chihiro rubbed her eyes sleepily. Outside, the chatter of bird song blended harmoniously with the soft rustle of wind through leaves. She smiled half-heartedly as she remembered the camping trip. Sure it would be great fun to spend a night outdoors with her closest friends. But to spend it in that particular forest seemed somewhat… well, she couldn't really describe it. It just made her… uncomfortable. She shook herself slightly and walked sleepy eyed to the bathroom to wash up.

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_Water feels so nice_. Chihiro let the water shower her from head to toe. She closed her eyes as some of the water began to run down the front of her face as her hair became wet. For a full minute, she just let the water run over her. _I want to go swimming_. She decided.

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Chihiro touched the water with her toe and drew back. "Are you sure I won't catch a cold swimming in this water? It's so cold." She looked doubtfully at Katie.

Katie waded ankle deep into the river. "It's fine. You just have to get used to it. It won't be cold after you swim for a few minutes."

Trusting her friend's words, Chihiro stepped into the water. Ignoring the sharp icy prickling on her skin, Chihiro immersed herself in the river. The prickling turned to a soft caress as the water surrounded her. She listened as the river began to hum its underwater song. She opened her eyes and looked around her. The water was so clear. She could see small schools of fish swimming downstream. She felt weightless, formless—one with the gently flowing river. The sunlight created kaleidoscopes of color as it bent to the water. And then, she saw it, his face, glimmering faintly among the sunlight.

"Haku?" Bubbles came out with Chihiro's muffled words and it was gone. Again, it was just sparkling sunlight on the water surface. Chihiro surfaced and looked around.

"Is the water still cold?" Katie winked, smiling as she caught Chihiro's gaze.

Chihiro laughed and started splashing water on Katie.

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Chihiro and Katie tiptoed quietly into their tent. "I told you we shouldn't have stayed so long at the river." Katie hissed to Chihiro under her breath as she crawled into her sleeping bag.

Chihiro looked apologetically over at the dark bundle that was Katie. "Sorry Katie. It's just that the water was so nice…" Katie didn't answer. "And sorry for suggesting we take that short cut." Chihiro whispered. "I guess I have my dad's sense of direction."

Katie laughed quietly. "That's okay Chihiro. The three hour walk back to the camp was good exercise at least."

A slight groan came from the other sleeping bag in the tent. Abby sat up and rubbed her eyes, peering through the darkness. "Chihiro? Katie?"

"Shhhhh." Chihiro cautioned. "You don't want to wake the girls in the other tents."

"You guys! It was so hard covering up for you especially since you were gone so long! Mrs. Nori was starting to get suspicious that you guys would rather sleep than have dinner."

"Why? What was for dinner?" Katie asked eagerly as her stomach growled.

Chihiro could just imagine Abby's grin. "We heated our own hot dogs over the fire and made smores afterwards."

Katie groaned longingly. "Is there anything left?"

Abby turned on a flashlight and dug through her bag. She pulled out two wrapped hot dogs and smores and handed one each to Katie and Chihiro. "What are friends for?"

Katie and Chihiro scooted closer to Abby's sleeping bag. "Thanks Abby, you're the best." Chihiro smiled and gave her a hug. "Yeah Abby. You're a life saver." Katie grinned as she began wolfing down her hot dog.

Abby beamed happily. "So did you guys have fun at the river?"

Chihiro smiled. "Oh yeah! It was too bad you couldn't come Abby. The water was SO nice!"

"But you're totally growing up Abby! I can't believe you already started getting your…" Katie stopped as Abby glared at her and went sheepishly back to her hot dog.

Abby's blush was obvious despite the weak light from the flashlight.

Chihiro patted Abby on the arm. "It's not that bad Abby! You're even allowed to date now!"

"Yeah! I bet you'd love to be Will's girlfriend." Katie teased and ducked as Abby chucked a pillow at her.

Chihiro laughed. "It's not like you wouldn't like going out with Ken Katie."

It was now Katie's turn to turn red. Recovering quickly, Katie eyed Chihiro evilly. "You know Chihiro, you've never told us who you like." Abby shifted her gaze to Chihiro too. "You're right Katie, Chihiro hasn't told us who she likes."

Chihiro gulped nervously as her two friends looked hard at her. "Uh… I don't like anyone. I don't really think of boys as more than friends to be honest…"

Katie sat back, disappointed. "Aw come on. You've gotta have just a slight crush on _someone_! I mean, if you had to choose someone right now, who would it be?"

"Girls…" A warning voice came from outside their tent. The girls all froze as Mrs. Nori lifted the tent cover and looked warningly at them.

"Oh! Look at the time!" Katie laughed nervously and crawled into her sleeping bag. Chihiro and Abby did the same.

Mrs. Nori looked hard at each of them. "If you girls don't go to sleep right now, I will have to tell your parents tomorrow." She let down the cover and walked back to her tent.

All three girls sighed in relief.

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Chihiro lay awake, staring up at the top of the tent. Katie and Abby's rhythmic breathing told her that they were already asleep. In her mind, Chihiro went through all the boys she knew and tried to think of one that she _liked_. But she couldn't. They were all just friends to her. No matter what Katie and Abby said, she just couldn't find any boy to have a crush on. They were all just her friends. Nothing more. Even if she had to pick, she simply couldn't. They were all just friends. She only wanted them as friends. Every single one of them. _Although, maybe, just maybe. Haku could become more than just a friend. MAYBE she could develop a crush for her former best friend. Just maybe._

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A/N: hope u liked! =) review plz! =)


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own spirited away.

Author's note: I'm so sorry to all you loyal readers of this story :( but as of well a few months ago, I had stopped work on this story for good. I feel really bad though so I'm posting this final chapter. It's not really an end. I don't think I'll ever finish this story though. I'm sorry. I know it's terribly irresponsible of me to just abandon a story and in all honesty, I do try very hard to finish what I start—but that's just something I can't do for this story. Anyway, I hope you'll like this chapter.

Kira

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Links: Chapter 9

Haku told his wildly beating heart to calm down as he found himself face to face with the five Great Spirits of the spirit world. The lava spirit Huo, the wind spirit Feng, the earth spirit Tu, the ocean spirit Hai, and the sun spirit Guang. They towered above him as they examined him, eyes registering his every aspect. Guang turned away eventually and beckoned the other spirits to an adjacent room. Huo looked at Haku and smiled encouragingly before entering the room and closing the door.

Haku looked after them, nervous and anxious. If this goes well, he should have a much faster way to the human world.

Guang frowned, his wrinkled face reflecting the wisdom and caution that came from his years. "Are you sure about this Huo? If we were to allow him to channel all our magic, he would become the strongest spirit alive."

Feng slammed his fist on the table. "Guang's right. We can't let this kid become too powerful. I bet he's just like Beiju, that little trickster..." He spat spitefully onto the ground. "We should just kill him now. From what you said Huo, this kid probably uses dark magic. How else could he have beaten you? He's still a kid."

Tu chuckled, amused by the memory of Beiju. "Calm down Feng. Beiju was a trickster alright, but his soul was kind. In fact, if I remembered right, Beiju only channeled our magic to go after some girl in the human world." She turned to Huo. "Is that what Kohaku is trying to do?"

Huo nodded. "Yes, the girl's name is Chihiro. According to Kohaku, he met her when her parents and her accidentally stumbled into the Spirit World three years ago."

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Feng boomed, jumping out of his chair in anger. "After Beiju left the Spirit World, we sealed off every single gap between the two worlds! This is all too convenient! THREE humans stumbling into our world? Impossible! The kid is lying!"

Hai's soft voice drifted over from her corner of the room. "It is true that we have sealed all the gaps. However, there are still areas in the boundary where the wall is weak. It would not be impossible for a human to cross the barrier...as long as she had a link..." The ocean spirit trailed off, her expression contemplative.

Feng snorted. "There you go! The kid is lying. How could a human visiting our world for the first time have a link to us? She'd have to have been here already and taken something from this world for that to work." He looked around the room triumphantly.

Hai sighed. "Links do not necessarily need to be physical. There can be spiritual links also. Sometimes, the spiritual ones are stronger—a physical link is destroyed along with the object but a spiritual link can never be truly destroyed."

Feng seemed incredulous. "Humans form spiritual links? Pah! Not possible."

"It is completely possible." Tu interjected. "In fact, when utilized in the right way, spiritual bonds can be infinitely stronger than physical bonds."

Hai nodded, smiling at the earth spirit. "That is correct. Although they are the stronger of the two, spiritual bonds are actually incredibly easy to form. In fact, any interaction between two beings possessing souls creates a link. The strength of the link varies depending on the duration and/or intensity of the interaction although..."

"Alright alright!" Feng interrupted. "I hate it when you two decide to start lecturing me."

Tu and Hai smiled apologetically.

Guang cleared his throat and the other four spirits turned their attentions to him. "While it is important to find out how humans may have entered our world, that would only be worth investigating should Kohaku's story be true. What remains to be determined is if we can trust him."

"Kohaku seems to be an respectful and honorable young man." Huo quickly defended his friend. "After he channeled my magic, he could easily have killed me. Instead, he stayed with me to make sure I was all right until my magic replenished itself. I don't think he intends any evil."

Guang looked at Huo, his mind obviously in thoughtful contemplation. Ignoring Feng's look of outright disbelief, Guang nodded to the lava spirit. "Alright Huo. We'll trust your judgment. However, I want to question Kohaku myself and have him prove his worth of our combined magic before I allow any channeling."

Haku paced back and forth in the sparsely decorated room. The Great Spirits have been gone for a long time and seemed to be arguing. _It probably isn't going well at all._ Haku wondered just how much influence Huo had over the other Great Spirits. He tried to remember what he had learned about the great spirits. _The Great Spirits are among the most powerful spirits in the Spirit World. Guang is the oldest spirit existing in the Spirit world and is the wisest of the five. Tu and Hai are sisters. Both have great knowledge of old magic and its principles. Feng is the most warlike of the five and the strongest by strength alone. Huo, being the youngest and therefore the least experienced, is weakest and most impulsive of the Great Spirits. Together, the Great Spirits are stronger than any is individually._

The door to the meeting room creaked open and a grim-looking Guang walked out, followed by the other four. Haku hurriedly bowed, preparing himself for the worst.

"Kohaku." Guang sat down on a chair opposite Haku. "As you know, any spirit who channels our magic would immediately become at least ten times stronger than he was before. Therefore, our first concern is what you plan to do with this magic."

Haku straightened himself and looked at the five spirits sitting opposite him. Turning his gaze to Guang, he replied in a clear voice. "I wish to cross the barrier to the human world."

Guang nodded. "Yes, Huo has told us that. We would, however, like to know the exact reasons you have for doing so."

Haku felt his face grow a bit warm as he thought of Chihiro. He hoped that the Spirits didn't notice. "I wish to find an old friend of mine. Her name is Chihiro." Out of the corner of his eye, Haku saw the corner of Huo's mouth twitch and regretted having told the lava spirit about the feelings he had developed for Chihiro over the years. "She once saved my life and I had promised her that we would meet again when she left the Spirit World over three years ago." Haku paused and then added in a determined voice. "And I keep my promises."

Guang nodded again, somewhat approvingly. "Our next question, then, is what kind of old magic you used to beat Huo in your battle."

Confusion filled Haku's mind as he tried to understand the question. "Old magic?" He faltered. "Sir, I don't know any old magic..." Haku trailed off, uncertain.

"I told you he's a little liar!" Feng snarled at Guang and pointed accusingly at Haku. "First, he feeds us some cock-and-bull story about a girl. Then, he tries to worm his way out of answering our question!"

Haku glared at Feng and answered with cold civility. "With all due respect sir, I ask you not to accuse me of anything unless you had solid proof."

Hai put a hand on Feng's arm to stop him from leaping out of his chair. She looked at Guang. "It is very possible that Kohaku may possess abilities of which he himself is not aware. Old magic often works that way."

"Very well then." Guang stood up and walked over to Haku and handed him a sheet of paper. "Before we allow the channeling of our magic, you have to sign this contract stating that you will not use the magic we give you for any other purpose than that of crossing the barrier." Feng opened his mouth to argue. Ignoring him, Guang continued, "We will then discuss allowing you to channel from us."

A bit taken aback, Haku took the contract hesitantly. Realizing that he had no pen, he looked up at Guang to ask for one. Guang seemed to have known what he was thinking. "This contract will be magically binding. You will have to sign it in blood." Guang looked hard at Haku. "Do you realize the seriousness and severity of this, Kohaku?"

Haku nodded. "I do sir." Putting the contract on the table beside him, Haku bit through the skin on his index finger. Tiny droplets of blood began to ooze out from the wound. Without a second thought, Haku pressed his finger firmly against the paper, leaving behind a dark red fingerprint.

"You may leave. We will contact you in a few days." Guang took the piece of paper and rolled it up.

Huo hopped out of his chair and patted Haku on the back. "You did well kid. Come on, let's go."

Haku mustered a smile at his friend. He bowed goodbye at the rest of the Great Spirits and walked after Huo, unable to ignore a lingering warning about the severity of the contract he just signed.

Hai waited until she heard the front door shut before turning to Guang. "Well?" She asked.

Guang unrolled the contract that Haku had signed. Hai nodded at Tu and Tu turned off the lights. In the darkness that pervaded the room, they were able to see the faint blue light coming from Haku's fingerprint on the paper.

"Now what is THAT supposed to mean?" Feng blurted out after a while.

"It means," said Hai quietly, "That Kohaku doesn't really need to channel our magic to cross the barrier. He is strong enough on his own."


End file.
